Frederick m



(No Model.) M STEVENS. ATTACHING KNOBS.

No. 453,870. Patented June 9, 1891.

NTTEE STATES PATENT EFICE.

FREDERICK M. STEVENS, OF lVATERBURY, CONN-Et" `ICUT, ASSIGNOR TO. THE MATTHEVS & VILLARD HAN'FACTURG COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ATTACHING KNOBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,870, dated J' une 9, 1891.

Application filed January 19, 1891. Serial No. 373,241. (No modell T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, FREDERICK lll. STEvENs, of lVaterbnry, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement' in Attaching Knobs; and l do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

lFlgure l, a side View of the knob complete;

Fig. 2, an inner end view of the knob; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the knob cutting on line .e ot Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section cutting on line :c :rof Fig. 2, illustrating the knob as attached to a door; Fig. 5, the same section as Fig. 3, illustrating the knob as applied to the door, Fig. G, the nut detached; Flgs. 7 and 8, modiiications. This invention relates to an improvement 1n the construction of knobs specially adapted 'for stove-doors and like purposes. These knobs are usually made from sheet metal. In some cases the knobs are provided with a nut within the neck of the knob and a screw introduced from the reverse side, through a hole in the door, turned into said nut; but such attachment is easily loosened, and because of such loosening this means of securing 1s objectionable and has been almost entirely abandoned, notwithstanding the great convenience which it affords for applying or removing the knob.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide a locking device which will prevent the knob from turning upon the screw or the screw within the knob under ordinary usage; and the invention consists in constructing the knob with tongues in its inner end adapted to engage the thread of the screw and clamp therein, so as to interlock the screw with the knob, and as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents theknob, which maybe of any of the usual constructions. it is preferably made from sheet metal, as steel. The inner end of the knob is constructed with two radial or inwardly-projecting tongues B B, (see Fig. 2,) which are eut from the metal forming the knob. These tongues are bent inward, as

seen in Fig. il, oblique to the axis of the knob and possess a considerable degree of elasticity. The distance between the two ends of the tongue when so bent inward leaves an opening C between them corresponding substantially to the thread of the screw D, by which the knob is to be secured, and so that as the screw is introduced its thread will engage the inner ends of the said springs, and if sufficient force be applied the tendency of 6o the screw will be to draw the springs outward.

\Vithin the knob is a nut E,arranged with its screw-threaded hole corresponding to the opening between the tongues B B, as seen in Fig. 3, and so that the screw may enter the said nut. The knobis applied to the door F, as seen in Figs. 4. and 5. The screw is intro duced from the rear side through a corresponding hole in the door and between the tongues into the nut. The nutshould have 7o a limited amount of freedom to move longitudinally. The screw-is turned hard up, and in so doing the spring-tongues B B are drawn toward the door, which forces their ends toward the screw, contracting the distance between them and so that they so firmly grasp the screw between them as to prevent its accidental disengagement, in fact, firmly lock the knob with the screw, so that a very considerable force will be required to detach the So knob.

To permit a slight longitudinal movement of the nut, and yet prevent its rotation, the inner end of the knob is constructedwith one or more tongues G, preferably two, which are S5 cut from the metal of the inner end of the knob and turned inward. The nutis round, as seen in Fig. 0, but is constructed upon its edges with notches 1I, corresponding to the tongues Gll of the knob, and so that the nut 9o set within the knob passes onto these tongues. Then the extreme inner end of the tongues may be turned over the surface of the knob, as at I, Fig. It, which will hold thenut within the knob, prevent its rotation, and yet permit a limited amount of longitudinal movement necessary for the draft to be produced upon the springs to bring them to thelocking position.

A very good result is attained without the roo employment of the nut, that being omitted. The spring-tongues themselves afford'an engagement between the knob and screw suflicient to hold the knob in place for many purposes for Ywhich such knobs are desired, and the interlocking of the knob with the screw will be the same whether the nut be employed or not; but in the employment of a nut it is not necessary that the tongues should actually engage the screw when the screw is introduced, because the nut will bear upon the turned-in ends' of the tongues, and as the nut is drawn toward the end of the knob by the operation of the screw it will press the tongues toward the screw until the interlocking is W produced.Y

While I prefer to make the tongues B B as an integral part of the knob, as described, they may be made separate from the knob, the end of the knob being constructed with an internal flange, upon which the tongueswill bear, as seen in Fig. 7. In such case the tongues B B, as also the tongues G G, maybe made from a disk, as seen in Fig. 8, it only being essential to this part of the invention that the tongues shall have some degree of elasticity and be arranged substantially at the end of the knob and turned inward so as to stand in planes oblique to the axis ot the knob.

I claiml. A sheet-metal knob having its inner end provided with inwardly-projecting springtongues, thesaid tongues turned into the knob into planes oblique to the axis of the knob, combined with a screw adapted to engage the inner end of said springs as a nut, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A sheet-metal knob havingits inner end provided with in\\\'ardlyproj ecting tongues B, the said tongues being in planes oblique to the axis of the knob,co1nbined with a nut within the knob, held against rotation of the knob, but free for a limited longitudinal movement, and a screw adapted to engage said nut, the said tongues being also adapted to engage said screw, substantially as described.

3. A sheet-metal knob constructed at its inner end with inwardly-projecting tongues B B, the said tongues turned inward into planes oblique to the axis of the knob, the said inner end of the knob also constructed with inwardly-projecting tongues G G, substantially parallel with each other, a nut E, having notches II II in its edge corresponding to said tongues G G, the nut set between said tongues G G, and the ends of the said tongues turned upon the back ot the nut, combined with a screw adapted to engage said nut and tongues B B, substantially as described.

In' testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

` FREDERICK M. STEVENS. lVitnesses:

HARRY L. DANIELs, GEORGE W. WATSON. 

